Our ETS Future 'Will Not Come Cheaply

AUSTRALIA will be unable to produce affordable baseload power supplies while meeting its emissions targets under present policy, new research has found.

A study by Melbourne's Grattan Institute, to be published today, warns that while carbon pricing will help make low-emissions technologies competitive, it will not be enough without big structural and policy changes.

Tony Wood, the institute's energy program director, says governments face "an acute intellectual and policy challenge" steering a course between inadequate support for low-emissions technologies or unduly favouring one technology over another. He cautions "Australia's move to a low-carbon future will be too expensive unless they do."

The Grattan research stresses markets as the primary mechanism by which Australia can reduce its emissions, but it says markets cannot work properly unless governments optimise regulatory and policy frameworks.

The study also warns against letting ideology limit the scope for manoeuvre by preventing serious evaluation of carbon capture and storage and nuclear energy. "A range of technologies available today can generate electricity at or below 0.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour and have significant scale-up projection," the Grattan research finds.

"Yet none currently represents more than 2 per cent of Australia's electricity supply and

their future technical and economic potential is shrouded in uncertainty."

The report finds further refinement of the underlying technologies of low-emission energy options will be the most important tool for their future development and commercialisation.

It reminds governments of their roles overseeing the development of new transmission networks and pipelines, resource maps, market frameworks, regulations and engineering skills.

The Grattan researchers urge the commonwealth to ensure the carbon pricing scheme works properly by setting long-term emission caps and call on all governments to act to ensure there is a level playing field for all power-generating technologies.

The report's authors urge the removal of obstacles that impede technologies such as wind and geothermal from connecting at large-scale to electricity grids built around the needs of very large fossil-fuel plants.

Our ETS Future 'Will Not Come Cheaply

Tony Abbott to Warn of Carbon Pay Cuts

TONY Abbott will use tomorrow's resumption of parliament to renew his attack on Labor's carbon tax by using Treasury economic modelling to warn it will slash wages.

The Opposition Leader will time his attacks to coincide with speculation about Julia Gillard's leadership as he seeks to put pressure on the government in the first sitting week of the year.

As the Coalition released its economic briefing notes yesterday, Labor ministers counter-attacked, with Wayne Swan condemning the opposition's pledge to relieve mining magnates such as Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer of Labor's mining tax but refusing to implement a disability insurance scheme.

Mr Abbott spent much of last year attacking Labor over its carbon tax of $23 a tonne, which will take effect from July 1.

Sources confirmed yesterday Mr Abbott would return to the issue in parliament this week, with the Coalition economic note warning that the carbon tax would cause "a large and continually growing fall-off" in gross domestic product.

"On Treasury's own modelling, the cumulative loss of output will be $32 billion by 2020 -- and that's in real 2010 dollars (ie the figure is not being driven by inflation)," the paper says.

"What's more, this will rise to the enormous figure of over $1 trillion by 2050."

The opposition claims the carbon tax would cut real wages by 1 per cent by 2020.

"To put this figure in perspective, for someone on current average adult full-time earnings (approx $70k), this would be equivalent to a cut in their salary of around $600 a year," it says.

Coalition sources said the figures would form the basis of the opposition's attack in question time this week.

But the Treasurer said the Coalition stand was "weak and pathetic", and told ABC television the media was fanning the leadership speculation that has prevented Labor gaining traction on other issues in the past week.

Industrial Relations Minister Bill Shorten joined in, accusing the Coalition of concealing its workplace policy and of wanting to damage workers by introducing greater industrial "flexibility".

"When conservatives use the term flexibility, they actually mean that if you're poor . . . it's time to take a pay cut," Mr Shorten told the Ten Network's Meet the Press.

"Why is it . . . Coalition DNA says the only way the rich can get richer is with low-paid workers getting penalty-rate cuts?"

Mr Abbott, who has been wary about announcing industrial relations policies for fear of sparking Labor claims he would return to the Howard government's Work Choices regime, said Labor's Fair Work Act had caused problems with flexibility and militancy in the workplace and was damaging the nation's economic productivity.

Lord Christopher Monckton interview with Adam Spencer

Controversial climate sceptic Lord Christopher Monckton is currently in Australia on a lecture tour.

He spoke not once, but twice to Adam Spencer this morning...

Listen to the 2 part interview (Adam hung up mid air and called Lord Christopher Monckton back who agreed to finish the "debate".

LISTEN HERE

.Controversial climate sceptic Lord Monckton Set to Speak at National Press Club

CLIMATE sceptic Christopher Monckton has been offered a prime speaking slot at the National Press Club in Canberra on July 19, despite a spate of cancelled public appearances.

Lord Monckton - who recently accused Julia Gillard's climate adviser Ross Garnaut of “fascist” views - is set to debate the Australia's Institute's executive director, economist Richard Denniss.

The Australian Online understands Lord Monckton was offered the spot in response to a request from his tour organisers.

The engagement is yet to be finalised as he has a speaking engagement in Melbourne which he is trying to shift.

It's understood the press club board approved the offer to Lord Monckton on Friday, while Dr Denniss has accepted the invitation.

National Press Club senior vice president Steve Lewis said the role of the club was to “provide a civilised forum for an important debate”.

“That's why we have extended the invitation to Lord Monckton and Dr Denniss to have this debate,” he said.

Dr Denniss has worked as a strategic adviser to Greens leader Bob Brown and worked as chief-of-staff to former Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja.

Lord Monckton has had speaking appearances cancelled at clubs in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth since arriving in Australia, after his comments about Professor Garnaut were revealed. Lord Monckton later said he had apologised to Professor Garnaut.

Engagements at the Brisbane Broncos Leagues Club and Port Adelaide Football Club have also been cancelled.

Lord Monckton's tour organisers have subsequently arranged for him to speak at the Bardon Conference Venue in Queensland and the South Adelaide Football Club in South Australia.

Lord Monckton has also spoken at a mining conference in Perth, and at the city's Notre Dame University, during his current visit.

But he today hit out at those responsible for cancelling his appearances, saying it was evidence the climate change movement was faltering.

“I see this simply as a mark of naked fear on the part of people who had arrogantly decided to politicise science and have now discovered that the truth is the truth, whether they like it or not,” Lord Monckton said.

“What we're seeing here is the last gasp of quite an unpleasant international political movement which had decided to try to politicise science itself and which has now failed.”

“If they were confident of their own scientific and economic position, they would not be frightened to allow the other side of the case to be heard.”

Organisers of Lord Monckton's national tour were told his booking of a Port Adelaide Footbal Club function room was “unsuitable”.

Port Adelaide's media manager Andrew Rutter said the booking was made by a staff member but cancelled after management became aware of it.

“Port Adelaide is a sporting club and that is what we are about,” Mr Rutter said.

“The club respects everyone's right to an opinion, but does not see itself or its facilities as a platform for any political viewpoint.”http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Lord Monckton said the club did not understand what freedom of speech meant.

“In Australia it always used to be that you got a fair go and clearly that is no longer the case,” he said.

“Before I came here I had a look at the international reputation of Australia and a number of the websites that monitored human rights for instance are beginning to talk of Australia as no longer a free country because access to information is so controlled.”

TheAge.com.au